Writer's Block Surrounds

Every writer is different in temperament, circumstances, opportunities, and, yes, even in talents. One size fits all advice isn't going to work for everyone. So many different factors affect our abilities to churn up the creativity machine and let it flow out our fingers. Often we see urges to "find a quiet, private space", "play soothing (or energetic) music", drink coffee, eat chocolate, be sure to have a clean and neat desk ... some people don't even have a desk! How many writers do we see tapping away at a laptop on a tiny table in a crowded, noisy coffee shop? They may claim it's the only way they can write. One of the most productive periods of my life happened when I sat in the midst of an old-style newsroom--people yelling, teletype machines clattering and dinging, phones ringing--and banged out three stories on a manual typewriter before the 10 a.m. deadline.

Now I cannot keep a clear space even between my keyboard and the screen. It seems to be a law of my life that any flat space becomes part of my 'piling system'. Even peripherals stack up on my big office credenza. The windows open onto noisy trucks making deliveries in the alley about 30 feet away, traffic roars along the street, birds sing or chirp or lob guttural caws my way, close by neighbors go about their busy lives. I forget to play music, don't eat because crumbs are anathema to keyboards and attract ants. I do have a mug of cooling tea at hand, part of my morning routine. And I usually forget to drink it.

The point is that you develop what works for you. If nothing seems to be working for you during this temporary interruption in the flow of creativity, the good news is that you can change any or all parts of your surroundings (to a point). This seems to be the principle of running away to a vacation or writers' conference to cure Writer's Block, a drastic and expensive approach. But don't adopt my methods just because they work for me, or take advice from anyone else and get depressed if it doesn't fix your problem.

Maybe you haven't yet found the most optimal surroundings for your writing. Maybe your choices are limited and you haven't adapted to reality. Maybe surroundings don't make a damn bit of difference at all! When I'm in the flow, I notice little that goes on around me, even the passage of time. Caught up in the ecstasy of creativity, I'm surrounded only by my actions and thoughts.